Floating foundation



Feb. 11,1930. i2. M GARRAUGH 1,746,668

FLOATING FOUNDATION Filed Feb. 14, 1928 c9 EL 1 1 W 9 1 1 Z767 a 7/JHHLLI// 0 Inventor 7v yflmmizm,

Attorney Patented Feb. 11, 1930 PATENT OFFICE ROBERT MCGARRAUGH, OF SANANTONIO, TEXAS FLOATING FOUNDATION Application filed February 14, 1928.Serial No. 254,261.

The present invention relates to a structure which may be convenientlyreferred to as a fioating foundation, the same being adapted moreparticularly for use in association with a structure which is built onground liable to settling.

By way of introduction, 1 may say that structures which must be built ona natural foundation other than rock, or hardpan, is

liable to uneven settling due to an unbalanced moisture condition causedby the protection from weather by the structure itself to the groundbeneath it.

With the customary type of foundation, with the floor joists carried bya concrete grade beam or other support resting upon the ground under thestructure, the-settlin g of the outside periphery of the structure,resting upon ground subject to moisture from rains, is greater than atthe center, upon ground protected from moisture. The result is thatfloors are thrown out of level, doors bind, and plaster on the insidewalls crack.

It is therefore the object of the present invention to provide astructure which combined the action of steel cross beams with aframe-like exterior concrete foundation wall to avoid buckling, theimproved structure having been designed with a view toward properlytaking care of stress distribution-by way of equalization of thestresses.

I propose a structure which is efiicient in performance, one which willfulfill the requirements of an invention of this class, a structurewhich is positive and dependable, and which is characterized by adifferent arrangement of parts.

In the drawings:

Figurel is a top plan view showing the foundationas constructed inaccordance with the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section through the same, and

Fig. 3 is a transverse section through the same.

In carrying out the invention, I provide a concrete wall or foundationstructure of frame-like design, the same being generally designated bythe reference character a. The side and end portions of this structureare of duplicate design and of the cross section shown better in Fig. 2.As shown here, each portion comprises an upstanding central wall 5 and abase 6, the base extending outwardly beyond the wall as shown to providea firm and secure footing.

This T-shaped cross section virtually provides inner and outer ledgesextending beyond the wail portion 5, and it will be noted from Fig. 1,that on the inner ledge at opposite points, extensions 7 are formed toaccommodate short tiers 8 providing rests for the cross beams 9.

The beams are here shown as of I-cross sec tion. The manner in which thesmooth result is obtained, is shown in Fig. 3, wherein a portion of thestructure is built upon the foundation. In this figure, the referencenumerals 1O designate the floor and the reference numeral 7 designatesthe joist therebeneath, which are supported on the Lbeams 9.

It is believed that a foundation made in accordance with this inventionwill overcome the objections referred to at the outset of thedescription, and it will be found entirely el'iicient from a standpointof stress distribution, for the beams disposed, in the manner shown,serve to carry the weight of the complete building on the outsidefooting of the concrete foundation.

It is therefore believed that persons skilled in the art to which theinvention relates will, upon reading the description in connection withthe drawings, obtain a clear understanding of the invention.Consequently, a more lengthy description is regarded unnecessary.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new is ROBERTMOGARRAUGH.

